FILLMORE – Crystal Owusu scored only two baskets for the Oaks Christian of Westlake Village girls’ basketball team Thursday night in a key Tri-Valley League game at Fillmore.

She couldn’t have chosen a more perfect time for the latter one to fall.

Owusu picked up a loose ball underneath the basket with two seconds remaining, made the layup and was fouled to give the Lions a wild 54-52 victory.

“I was thinking, `I just better make this shot,”‘ Owusu said. “I knew I had to be aggressive down there. I just put it up thinking it better go in.”

Oaks Christian was lucky to have the chance for the win thanks to some heady officiating.

Trailing 52-51 with 49 seconds remaining, Oaks Christian forced Fillmore to use up all of the shot clock. However, the shot clock operator reset the shot clock, giving Fillmore several more seconds after it should have expired.

Aimee Orozco made a jump shot from the free-throw line with 13 seconds remaining to give Fillmore an apparent three-point lead. But Oaks Christian immediately called a timeout, and, after a brief discussion, the officials agreed the shot clock should have expired, took the basket away and awarded the ball to the Lions.

“It was crazy out there, but I am just glad things were done right and we got the chance we deserved at the end,” Lions coach Andre Chevalier said.

Katie Brooks scored 15 points and had 16 rebounds to lead the Lions. Freshman Brianna Barrett had 14 points and Hilary Landa had 13, including four 3-pointers.

Oaks Christian (13-1, 5-0) was just 7 of 19 from the free-throw line but made up for it with a huge rebounding edge.

Orozco scored 14 points to lead the Flashes (14-5, 4-1), while Rebecca Herrera had 12 and Kyla Hernandez scored 10.

The game went back and forth, with neither team leading by more than five points.

Oaks Christian led 23-20 at halftime but allowed 21 points in the third quarter and trailed by one entering the final period.

The two teams shared last year’s league title, and the game at Oaks Christian on Feb. 10 will decide things this season.

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